§ 7. The root-stocks, stems, stalks, and rachises of Ferns 

 are often clothed, especially in their youth, with a peculiar 

 kind of deciduous, membranaceous, chaffy scales, which are 

 decidedly hygroscopical (absorbing water), scarlous, dispersed, 

 or imbricated, erect, twisted, filiform, lanceolate, oval, etc., 

 and of a brown, black, or yellow colour. They are called 

 PalecB, differ in size, and their edges are either entire, sawed, 

 fringed, or irregularly torn. 



§ 8. The process of fecundation in this family of plants has 

 been the speculative task of many naturalists. Some skilful 

 hypotheses have been advanced on the subject by eminent 

 authors, in order to establish sexuality amongst them ; but as 

 nature has mysteries of her own to hide from mortal view, 

 so these theories, however intelligent, are only to be looked 

 upon as ingenious suppositions. That young Ferns may be 

 reared from spores, or seeds, is sufficiently known, as well as 

 that some of them are propagated by leaf buds. {Aspleniiun 

 ^emmiferu7n,) 



§ 10. For the purpose of systematic classification, the 

 filical tribe has been divided into sub-orders, the chief charac- 

 ters of which are to be found in the construction, shape, 

 dehiscence, or position of the sporidia ; the presence or ab- 

 sence of an involucre, the form of the spores, the vernation, 

 etc. In Hymenopliylleoi (small Ferns with very delicate, 

 almost transparent, fronds, without stomata), the marginal 

 spore-cases are placed upon the top of an extended vein, and 

 covered with a cuplike involucre, formed by the lobes of the 

 frond ; while the capsules in Ophioglossece arc spiked on the 

 margin of a contracted leaf, possess no ring at all, and have 

 a straight vernation. 



§ 11. If the graceful Fern trees of tropical or sub-tropical 

 climes approach CycadecB, and remind us of the majestic 

 growth of Palms, then the small order of LycopodiacecB or 

 club-mosses show, in the structure and shape of their leaves, 

 an affinity to the muscal alliance. These plants form indeed a 

 family of their own, but are commonly clas^^cd with Ferns as 



